No Fear at Heart
by WerlynTellsNoTales
Summary: During an everyday thievery job at the eagle spire, Razar decides that Eris might be good for more than just friendship... Chapters 1-4: Rated K /Chapters 5-?: Rated T /Chapters ?-?: Rated M (? means I have not written it yet) PLEASE LEAVE CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM. DO IT. SERIOUSLY.
1. Chapter 1

*Clink*

A pebble bounced of the marble floor. Razar froze. It seemed like nobody had heard, but the raven still berated himself for being clumsy. It would not do to be caught now. It would not do at all. What he was after was far too valuable.

He told himself to relax.

'After all,' he thought 'I've been trying to find the far-seer for three nights in a row now, and they haven't got the lightest suspicion.'

He wore his stealth gear: a simple loincloth to protect his pride, a harness for storing the plethora of weapons he liked to keep on his person at all times, and soft shoes, which provided padding for his claws on the stone floors of the eagles' spires.

Suddenly, he heard voices ahead. Around the corner came two eagle night guards, preceded by the nimbus of warm light from their torches. They chatted away, keeping their voices low as they exchanged gossip. Quick as a shadow, Razar slipped into an abandoned room and locked the door behind him with a decrepit bolt. He winced as the lock creaked.

"In there!" said one of the guards. The raven heard the clanging of metal as the armoured birds hurried to his hiding place. Looking through the keyhole, Razar saw the left guard, the shorter of the two, reach out for the door handle. He gripped it and slowly turned. There was a sharp 'snick' as the mechanism inside worked. The guard applied pressure once, twice. But the bolt held.

"You're seeing things, Egral. This part of the library has been abandoned for decades." Spoke the taller guard and gestured with his torch. "Come on."

"I guess you're right." Said Egral, and he leaned in to also take a glance through the keyhole. Razar whipped his wing across the opening, blackening it. He heard the sound of two pairs of footsteps outside, as the two guards resumed their chatter.

The raven took a deep breath and stood with his back to the door, sliding into a sitting position. He looked up.

To his left, he saw bookshelves piled high with dusty tomes. The right wall was equally covered, though a doorway bisected the shelves. The floor was a checkerboard of brilliant white and azure tiles. From the low celling hang a simple yet ornate lamp, which was unlit. Against the far wall was set a curtained bed, which seemed to Razar to be a little out of place. Next to it was cut a rectangular, undecorated window, through which light from the full moon flowed into the room, giving the raven the ability to see, though colours were hard to distinguish. From around the door, a thin halo of yellow torchlight was visible, though it did not reach into the room.

Razar rose, and walked casually over to the window. The view was incredible; before him, all of Chima was laid out like a black-and-white map. The moon shone so strong as to produce shadows, which gave the world their depth. Though he was near the base of the spire, he could still see as far as the crocodile's swamp. His own scrapyard was blocked from sight by the hulking magical monolith known as Mt. Cavora. Silently, he slid one of the panes of glass aside and took a deep breath of the fresh, icy air. He shuddered with bliss as it permeated his lungs.

For a while he stood there. As he was about to turn and leave he heard a rustling sound. He thought it came from the bed. Drawing a wicked, curved dagger, he gently pulled the drapes apart, then jumped back. Inside he saw Eris, princess of the eagles, lying face down between the sheets. She appeared to be entirely naked, though her bottom half was covered. She hugged her pillow furiously, and seemed to be shaking.

Embarrassed, the raven averted his gaze, as his breath caught, and his heart started racing. Thinking quickly, Razar managed to overcome his shock, and decided to cover his friend up as much as he could, then leave. He reached out to pull her blankets up, but something stayed his hand. His heart pounded as though it was trying to rip free of his chest.

'WHAT'S WRONG WITH ME?' he thought, furious at himself, turning away. He on the windowsill for a while, legs dangling free. He knew what was wrong with him. He was developing a crush. This wasn't the first time this had happened. A few years ago, he met a raven girl, Rakun by name, and found her incredibly cute.

The thing that astounded him was that he was having those same feelings for Eris. Princess, warrior and eagle. But most importantly of all, one of his best friends. He started pacing up and down in an attempt to calm his feelings. In doing so, he stubbed his toe on a book, producing a dull thump. He danced around swearing under his breath.

Eris' breathing caught, and she stopped shaking. Slowly, she let go of her pillow and sat up, keeping herself covered with her sheets. She reached for her dagger, but quickly stayed her hand when she realised who it was.

"Razar?" she asked, incredulously.

The raven froze and turned to face her.

"Well, this is awkward." He said, scratching his head.


	2. Chapter 2

Eris stared for a moment, then blinked. She made to get up.

"D- do you mind…" she gestured for Razar to turn around. The raven blushed and looked out of the open window at the beautiful scenery. But he did not see it. He saw Eris' face in his mind, Elegant and clean, and it blotted out such trivialities as the most striking night to fall upon Chima in ten years. The thought of her getting dressed behind him did nothing to calm his heartbeat.

"You have some explaining to do, raven." Said Eris, joining him at the window. She now wore a nightgown, and her face filled with joy as she beheld the full moon.

"I came here for business, Eris. C-confidential if you will. I had to hide for a while, so I came in here." He stumbled over his words, and berated himself for it.

'I'm not exactly leaving a good impression.' He thought to himself. 'hold on, why am I TRYING to leave a good impression? She's my FRIEND. Nothing more... right?'

Eris poked him in the ribs.

"You were stealing again, weren't you?" she laughed.

"Yes, well I prefer the term 'permanent borrowing,'" said Razar, returning her smile. They looked each other in the eyes for several long moments. The raven was utterly lost in the eagle's yellow orbs, such as he never had been before. Not even with Rakun. He knew then that this feeling was impossible to subdue. Nor did he want to.

"Umm… what are you doing?"

Razar woke from his stupor, opening his eyes to find that he was leaning toward the Eris. He sat upright awkwardly.  
"S-sorry." He stuttered. "I'm just…" he frantically tried to look for an excuse, "tired. Yeah. I'm tired."

The eagle giggled.

"You really are a bad liar. Well, never mind. You're actually kinda cute when you're embarrassed."

Razar flinched as the princess placed her arm over his shoulder. It struck the raven then, that she had always been more open when alone with him, than when they were with their friends. He wondered if she loved him back, or if she was just uncomfortable with crowds.  
Eris climbed out of the window, and it was then that Razar saw the bench suspended on ropes from the bottom of the building. They sat side by side – arms over each other's shoulders - admiring the view, and being grateful for the company.

For several minutes they sat, not exchanging a word. Razar broke the silence.

"You were dreaming, yes? I'm sorry for waking you."

Eris huffed: "don't be. It was just another nightmare."

"I'm sorry to hear that. Do you want to discuss it?"

"Later, maybe. I'd rather not ruin the moment."

"As you wish. I'm sorry."

Eris turned and faced him.

"You apologize too much." She said, giggling.

"Sor- I mean, yes. I suppose I do."

A bark of laughter escaped the eagle, and she rested her head on his shoulder, cooing.

Razar froze, unsure what to do. He realised he was probably being awkward; so he gathered up his courage and let his own head lie on hers. Thus, they waited the night away. Soon, the sun rose, once more giving the world his gift of colour, and bathing it in his yellow rays. Afraid that someone might see him, Razar insisted they go back inside. They sat cross-legged on Eris' bed.

"Now that there is no moment to ruin, perhaps you would like to tell me about your dream, yes?" asked Razar, tilting his head.

"Ah yeah. The dream." Eris's features suddenly became serious again, like she usually was. Slow and halting at first, but growing steadily more sure, she began to explain…


	3. Chapter 3

"The first thing I was aware of was a bright light." She grudgingly admitted. "So I opened my eyes. I was flying high over Chima; higher than the mountains and clouds. Feeling reckless in the warm sun, I flew ever higher until even the stars were at my feet. I reached out to one of the bright lights, orange in colour. Suddenly, it seemed to speak to me.

'Eris! What are you doing? We all know you're bad at flying.'

As I stared at it, its features became sharper, and I saw that it was Laval. A green star, which was now shaped like Cragger, added:

'Yeah, and everything else you do.'

'You're even dumber than me!' Rogon mocked." Eris sniffed, and hugged herself.

"And then… and then Gorzan said:

'Dude! Even Rogon's rock is better than you at science.' Then they all started laughing and pointing at me, and saying things like,

'I don't even know why we put up with you.' And 'you're not our friend.'

The only one who said nothing was you. You just stood there and smiled at me. I couldn't tell if it was a kind, indifferent or taunting smile. It was almost like you were going to say something, but you were waiting for the right moment…" she paused for a while, and looked at Razar. The raven's head was locked forwards, and a strange expression was spread over his face. It was yearning, but also furious. Almost hungry. Eris shook herself and continued.

"As they insulted me, I started to fall. It was as if I had lost control of my wings, and was plummeting back towards the lonely, grey ground, which was now covered in dark cloud. I looked up and saw them towering over me, still pointing and giggling. Well, almost all of them. You were different again. You were diving down towards me, trying but unable to catch up. And still, that haunting smile was on your face... and still, I could not tell if it was a kind, indifferent or taunting smile. Instead of hitting the ground, I woke up." She glanced up at the raven sitting next to her again. He was still staring straight ahead. Quietly, she began to sob.

"It was neither, my friend." He spoke, solemnly. "I can't name what it was, but I feel it now. I feel…" he struggled to find the right words: "Protective. Responsible. Troubled." Razar turned his head to meet her, and they made eye contact. A spark flew between them, and the raven's heart began to beat thrice as fast as it already was.

"Eris, I want to help you with all your problems, big and small. Just tell me when you need help, and I'll be there for you, yes?"

Eris stopped her sobbing and stared at him, open eyed with wonder.

"You would do all that? For me?" she asked, incredulous. He brushed a tear off her cheek with his good hand.

"All that, and more if it meant you were happy, my love."

"What did you just call me?" asked Eris, playfully. She turned him around and placed a finger on his chest. Razar blushed. He repeated the term, shyly. Eris gripped him by the shoulder straps of his harness and pulled him toward her. They tilted their heads and exchanged a quick but sweet kiss. When they were done, they looked away awkwardly.

"So does this mean were…?" asked the eagle.

"I… I think so…" replied the raven.


	4. Chapter 4

It was a week until Eris' 17th birthday, and Razar still hadn't thought of a suitable present. He had contemplated everything from rings, necklaces and chains to an 'upgrade' to her jet. Yet somehow nothing had seemed right. He kicked a rock in frustration.

'She's my girlfriend! I must be able to think of something!' he thought to himself. He decided to go for a morning flight to clear his mind.

After an hour of gliding gently through cool clouds, he realised that he had unwittingly flown to the eagle spires. Eris was busy today, so he knew he couldn't drop in to see her, but he decided that there was no harm in having a walk around her home.

'Perhaps being around her people will give me ideas, yes?' he reasoned with himself.

Adroitly, he alighted on the magnificent marble, trying not to scratch the delicate stone with his harsh claws. He ignored the strange looks he was getting from some of the eagles; he was used to them. Instead, he stopped to take a breath and took in his surroundings. The room he was in was round, about fifty feet in diameter and had a domed, glass celling, supported by triangular brass beams. White- and blue-feathered birds stood in small clusters, and he guessed that there were about two dozen. The floor was adorned with a brightly coloured compass set into the stone, and a door was placed in the walls by each of the points. The northern door, which he had just entered, as well as the southern door, led to the outside. The eastern door opened to a spiral staircase, which in turn allowed access to a busy observatory.

It was the western door that interested Razar most. By it, there was a notice board, upon which were tacked the names of several plays, and the time and date at which they would be shown. Upon closer inspection, it became apparent that the room on the other side of the door was the Chimean Grand Theatre. The raven remembered that Eris' favourite playwright went by the artist's name of Shiverlance. He checked the notice board without asking the eagle advisor for help (which made the latter noticeably and amusingly uncomfortable). He found a performance of 'A Midsummer Daydream' on the appropriate day, and booked a private box. Satisfied that she would love his present, he slipped the tickets into a pouch on his belt and sauntered off, whistling.

Seven days later, the two lovebirds flew hand in hand to the theatre. Razar had not told Eris exactly what his present would be, but she had a general idea. She was giddy and excited. When they landed, she jumped up and down impatiently. The raven whipped the tickets from his pouch and -upon seeing them- the eagle wrapped her arms around his waist and pecked him on the beak. They entered the airy hallways leading to the open-air auditorium (the eagles feared no rain, since the spires reached above the clouds). They climbed a set of ornate stairs to the highest level, and found their box. It was very much to Eris' liking, both having a good view of the stage, and being private enough for nobody to be able to look in. at the back, there was a small room with a bar, and in the front was a balcony with solid walls, a gilded bannister and three tiered sets of two chairs. A blue curtain hung on either side of the opening, tied back with golden ribbons. The floor was adorned with a carpet depicting the countenance of one of the inventors of modern eagle theatre. By the entrance stood a nude female statue, who held her hands out welcomingly, holding a bunch of grapes in the right, and a pitcher of wine in the left. The sculpture was made of brilliant white marble, but the left side of its face was pure black. Razar inspected the bar, and found there to be several mild alcoholic, as well as non-alcoholic beverages. In addition, there was a whole, rich chocolate cake and a bowl filled with various fruits. The door could be secured with a bolt from the inside, which Eris did immediately. Seeming to relax, she unwound on one of the chairs in the front row, setting her feet up on the bannister.

Half an hour of casual conversation, and some sips of whine later,

All became silent in the amphitheatre. Almost all the seats were filled.

People from all over Chima had come; mostly eagles, but

Plenty of lions had also showed up.

Yes, it was quite a sight. The auditorium was awash with all colours of the rainbow.

Blasting trumpets announcing his arrival, an eagle walked humbly onto the stage.

"It is I, Shiverlance. Composer and creator of the play you are about to see". Eris

Rubbed her hands together with childish glee, unable to take her eyes off the bird.

"Tis time now for you to embark on this magical journey, and to set yourself into the

Heads of an extended family of lions, living in a large house, and enjoying all the

Dubious comforts of prosperity. All looks well, yet looks can be deceiving. Betrayal

And treachery is afoot on this fateful, and historic, day, dozens upon dozens of

Years ago…"

Keeping the attention of the audience (quite expertly, Razar thought), Shiverlance

Inspected the crowd. Everyone had listened to his speech, but now they all, Eris

Obviously included, wanted to see action. They all sat on the edges of his seats.

Not a sound was heard as the curtains opened.


	5. Break

so I've got end of years the week after next, and I need to do some seriously hardcore revision. sadly, I won't have time to write this story anymore, until I am done.

see you all in a month! :D


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